Many types of deflector shields have been devised for motor vehicles to protect the vehicle windshields and hoods from the impact and accumulation of insects, debris and other foreign materials. For the most part, prior art shields have been mounted to the vehicle by means of screws or bracket arrangements connecting the shield to the front of the radiator grille or to the front or underside of the vehicle hood.
Various prior art approaches are represented in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,778,439 to A. F. Pfingsten; 3,831,696, 3,863,728, 3,987,863 and 4,178,034, all to T. H. Mittendorf. All generally disclose an insect deflector in combination with a screen framework which is mounted in front of the radiator grille by some type of bumper mounting means. The Pfingsten shield is angled slightly at the center to form opposite rearwardly extending shield sections, and is mounted so as to incline at a slight rearward angle with respect to the vertical. Mittendorf '034 and '863 illustrate the shields mounted in a channel-type bracket arrangement, while '696 teaches a rearwardly inclined V-shaped shield which is relatively wider at its outer side edge.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,008,756 to W. S. Lindhardt teaches a shield mounted in a slotted bracket and mounting block arrangement which includes slots whereby to permit adjustment of the angle of the shield. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,862,777 to W. P. Schifano and 4,142,758 to R. H. Scaife illustrate deflector devices specifically adapted for use with trucks. Schifano employs a pair of deflector shields, which are S-shaped in cross-section, fastened in side-by-side relation to the front ends of a flat-front cab, directly beneath the windshield. Scaife is similar in operation but utilizes a generally planar deflector which is angled forwardly with respect to the front of a cab. A modified form of shield for conventional hooded trucks comprises a planar center portion having rearwardly offset side portions. Various devices employing channelled brackets for receiving and mounting the shields are represented by U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,153,129 to P. J. Redmond; 4,236,592 to J. H. Ziegler; and 3,015,517 to A. K. Thornburgh.
The present invention represents an improvement over the prior art in providing a shield of aerodynamically superior configuration which is mounted in an extruded "wrap-around" base that conforms to and is removably connected to the top and side edges of the radiator.